proverb · Traditional
Nothing venture nothing win.
Some worthwhile gains require taking a chance. Refusing every risk can prevent a success that depends on making an attempt.
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What does it mean?
Start with the thought in plain English. Then explore the imagery, a practical example, when to use it, and what the saying does not mean.
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191 matching explanations
proverb · Traditional
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Venturing connected with gaining values undertaking an attempt rather than remaining inactive. The saying highlights the possibility that an aim needs some action.
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One does not cross a river without getting wet.
The saying makes getting wet part of crossing a river. As a metaphor, it connects undertaking a change with encountering some consequence or inconvenience.
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One fails forward toward success.
Failing forward presents a setback as part of movement toward an aim. The emphasis is on responding and learning rather than making failure a final identity.
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One must howl with the wolves.
Pressure to fit a group can encourage copying its behaviour. The wolves’ howl depicts conformity, whose usefulness depends on what the group asks you to do.
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One must needs like what one cannot hinder.
Living with an unchangeable condition may require finding a workable attitude toward it. Acceptance of a limit does not mean approving injustice or giving up available choices.
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One must step back to make the better leap.
A temporary retreat can improve the next attempt. Stepping back may create room to prepare or reconsider rather than amounting to abandonment.
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One should not refuse to eat just because there is a chance of getting choked.
Eating despite a chance of choking contrasts a necessary activity with a possible risk. Figuratively, the saying questions avoiding every undertaking because something could go wrong.
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One who fears failure limits his activities.
The saying warns that fear of failure can narrow the activities a person considers. It asks how anticipated disappointment affects choices.
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One with the courage to laugh is master of the world almost as much as the one who is ready to die.
The saying places courage to laugh beside readiness to die as forms of mastery. It gives resilient enjoyment an elevated value through an extreme comparison.
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Oppression causeth rebellion.
Persistent oppressive treatment can provoke resistance. The saying directs attention to the conditions that create conflict rather than blaming only those who resist.
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Peril proves who dearly loves.
A difficult or dangerous moment can reveal who is willing to give practical support. Love is measured here through conduct under pressure rather than declarations alone.
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Pills must be swallowed without chewing.
Some unavoidable unpleasant experiences are easier to complete than to prolong. The bitter pill supplies a metaphor for dealing with a difficult but necessary task.
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Play by the rules, but be ferocious.
The instruction joins following rules with being ferocious. It asks for intense effort within an acknowledged set of limits.
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Real cowboys never run; they just ride away.
Cowboys riding away instead of running preserve a toughness image while describing departure. The saying humorously gives withdrawal a form consistent with its identity label.
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Running away can be shameful, but not when it evades annihilation.
Running away exempted from shame when it avoids annihilation distinguishes withdrawal from a simplistic charge of cowardice. The saying gives preservation a place in judgment.
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Seize the day.
The instruction asks someone to seize the day. It encourages making use of a present opportunity rather than endlessly postponing it.
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Self-help is the best help.
Self-help called the best help values personal initiative. The saying emphasises actions someone can take on their own behalf.
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Some have been thought brave because they didn’t have the courage to run away.
The saying questions apparent bravery when remaining may reflect fear of leaving. It separates visible conduct from its possible motive.
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Steel is strong. Flesh is stronger. Will is strongest.
Steel, flesh and will ranked in increasing strength elevate determination above physical materials. The saying praises resolve through an exaggerated comparison.
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Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
The saying contrasts bodily injury from sticks and stones with a claim that words cannot hurt. It offers defiance against insults through an absolute denial.
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Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s the courage that counts.
Success never final and failure never fatal give courage priority over a single outcome. The saying encourages continuing without treating a result as a complete personal verdict.
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Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
The saying treats success and failure as stages rather than final verdicts. It gives courage to continue greater importance than either result.
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The ant pushes itself.
The saying makes an ant push itself. As a qualified human analogy, it pictures effort arising from one’s own initiative.
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